JacQeb

JacQeb was a Mariner on a great ship at sea. This journey was short from unforseen circumstances.

“Things have gone off the road early. Finny has been my best friend and greatest saboteur and he is no longer with us. I will have to report back to Mishra and Vina.
“The people are grateful for the return of their wells and water. The fine grain of salt continues to dust from my skin as I walk amongst the wagons on our way back. Gentrick is an honest soul, greater than I and I'll find some way to pay him for his work. Odd how he was in Addearshelm to start but it matters little at the moment.

“Strange how a faker playing a pregnant woman and a little punk kid found their way to the river and eventually to us. Odd events with flashes of energy swallowed many of my belongings and those of my Mom. Mishra is also missing. The loss of the temple is devastating but it can be rebuilt.
“Traveling the back roads of Makassar is not my specialty. Rounding some odd corners have gotten us in some significant trouble. There's something about a sword that needs to be recovered and I'm more than happy to oblige. Anything that I do in the next few months must be done to help rebuild. I can feel free once the wheel is in motion.

…Such beautiful flowers. I thought one of them was ripe for the picking. It could have been used for something. Too bad that the needles were terribly horribly poisonous. It was time to take a nap. Everyone else with me didn't have a chance.

The headache from bouncing for a few days only took a little while to overcome. There was some crazy idea of heading back and getting me some help. Okay, maybe I didn't word things quite right and it may have sounded like a deathbed confessional. I've got to work on the bedside manner.

On the other hand, we're making our way to some new high-falootin' drama that has something to do with zombies and pirates. We returned to Addershelm after a few days away. Finny fell to the bottom of the well and am just as much to blame as any other. Our hope is to undo what has already been done by some others. Hopefully there is no other balance to be undone.

Entering the tower was an awesome experience. Not often does the Queen of the Sea advise us so keenly. The tower came from the sea and we were able to enter as it was still rising from the water. We have a lot of stairs and rotting wood that we had to traverse.

I was surprised to throw my first Water Bolt from my fingers. It was a little off target but I'll be better with this than I'll be with my pistols.

Speaking of pistols, the River of Death was not the worst thing down here. Paying the boatman was not a terrible thing.

Such tiny little teeth.

I nearly got shot at by the pirates that we “negotiated” with. You can always guess that the relationship is going to be pretty fluid. Mishra had a way of being “fluid” with me and Finny when they lured me back in to that trap! I'm back with good (sorta) people that are (sorta) understanding.

Jackpot! My water bolt knocked against the side of a man's head. Sure, he was already on his knees – and dazed – but I did hit him!

Passing by the boatman again was a little perilous for the others. I leapt over most of the trouble and helped out. My head was feeling pretty weak and that taste of blood between my teeth.

There's no trouble with the Path spells. So very odd that no one else knew their potential before this experience began. A few traps, a sarcophagus and another trap later left us in a room with a gigantic pearl. Touching the pearl made a lot of the strange band of adventurers feel different or unlock something that they didn't know before.

Now about those teeth. There was an outer ring of water with all sorts of eels. They always have sharp fangs and teeth. Only thing worse may have been the shark we faced, but I'll get there. Anyhow, the pearl was such a unique item that a few people wanted to take it along. No problem! I wasn't going to touch it again but I was willing to put up a water corridor and let the others go after it. The suggestion of giving the pearl to the New Temple was worth the risk.

We got out of the tower after a few other bad stretches. Our boat nearly gets eaten by a shark! Thanks Paycence, that sword is probably our best friend and worst enemy. Anyhow, it's a sweet looking shark and some nice skin for a new dress, coat, gloves and a few other things.

JacQeb looked around the room as everyone else fell asleep. The little runt Anklam was against the wall and curled tight in to a ball. He was dead to the world even with Gentrick snoring a ballad to Lady Fiona. What a looker she was, the young Lay Healer thought as his unloaded pistol was pointed at the ceiling. The swinging lamp on a chain was the target as the breeze wafted through the cracked window.

The juggler-turned-killer was faintly snoozing but turned away from the playful mood of the reformed charlatan as he played with the recently-fired piece of metal, sulphur and wood. JacQeb thought most of everyone in the room was too asleep to see him touch the loading rod against the tip of his nose, the muzzle only a scant inch beyond that. He thought what he may be able to do with the powerful pistol that he acquired.

A small burst in his mind and the turning of his gut meant a spell was coming around and it was too late to turn back. The tip of the loading rod was now alight with a tip of light. He pointed it around the room to see what kind of illumination it would give off. The swinging source of natural light was easier to see but not entirely clear. Bandulu twisted in his light slumber so JacQeb extinguished the near barrel of light. There was one other trick that he thought about trying but this was nowhere safe to try it. He just thought about aiming the muzzle, pulling the trigger and his bolt of water would sling from inside the firearm. It sounded brilliant! Now only if it would improve the accuracy and range. This is when he put the pistol down and rolled over to sleep.